Minutes - TRIPS Council Special Session - View details of the intervention/statement

Ambassador C. Trevor Clarke (Barbados)
B.i Meeting of 23 October 2009, p.m.
74. The representative of Guatemala said that, in the view of her delegation, voluntary participation was a part of the mandate, providing Members with the freedom to decide when it was feasible or possible for them to implement the register and incorporate it into the national system. Guatemala saw this as an acquired right, and therefore believed that special and differential treatment should crystallize in other ways in addition to voluntary participation. She noted Brazil's programme to assist developing countries in creating their own GIs, and its successful experiences with "Cachaça", with meat and with coffee. This was a very interesting experience and Guatemala was working on some ideas that could perhaps be taken into account. Brazil's ideas should be further developed by the TN/C/W/52 proponents and not wait until after the adoption of the modalities.
TN/IP/M/23